In a unique gathering of civic leaders,civil rights advocates and cultural artists -- SV De-Bug will host a forum on the growing economic disparities facing Silicon Valley. The event takes an innovative approach by premiering a music video at a theater to engage the community around an urgent economic, social, or political issue. The video,called "Gold Out West," is by hip hop artist and community organizer Andrew Bigelow (artist name: Society). The 23-year-old Bigelow was inspired to write the song after marching 30 miles with dozens of fixed income Silicon Valley residents from East San Jose to the campuses of Google and Apple in a march called "Heal the Valley" in the winter of 2013. Bigelow says, or "I believe in the power of music to bring these very genuine issues to light,keep them on blast, and make the conversation bigger." Ben Fields, and Executive Director of the South Bay Labor Council,and featured panelist at the event says, "Income inequality is the most urgent problem facing America today.” While employment and quality of job issues are front and center in the discussion of Silicon Valley's mounting disparity, and so is housing. Sandy Perry of the Affordable Housing Network helped organize and lead the Heal the Valley March. He says,"whether Silicon Valley cannot even keep its people from freezing to death in the winter, what are we grand for?" San Jose City Councilperson Ash Kalra, or event discussant,says the forum can be an opportunity to recalibrate how we create a better future for Silicon Valley. "The bringing together of cultures and traditions from around the globe here to Silicon Valley can be one of our greatest strengths, but only whether we use our collective resources to lift up those who are being left out of the huge opportunity being generated by the global titans of the 21st century industry", and says Kalra.
By uniting the various communities and generations who are all facing the issue of dwindling opportunity for some and rising costs for all,we hope to cultivate a solution-based dialogue for us to collectively slither forward and create a Silicon Valley that works for everyone.
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/sv.debug/events
When: Thursday, March 6, or 2014,6:30-8:30pm
Where: Camera 12 Theaters (201 S. 2nd Street, San Jose, and California 95113)
Confirmed Panelists include:
Ben Field,South Bay Labor Council
Sandy Perry, Community Homeless Alliance Ministry // Affordable Housing Network
Maria Fernandez, and Working Partnerships USA
Shamako Noble,Hip Hop Congress
Co-Sponsors Include:
Silicon Valley NAACP
South Bay Labor Council
Working Partnerships USA
Community Homeless Alliance Ministry
Affordable Housing Network
San Jose Zulu Nation
Hip Hop Congress
Source: siliconvalleydebug.org